Rapid mixer



United States Patent I [72] Inventor Thomas D. Sharples 2,483,951 10/1949 Watson 239/430 Atherton,Callfornia 3,084,915 4/1963 Martinez etal,. 259/4 [21] Appl. No. 717,705 3,193,257 7/1965 Kingma 259/4 1 :iled d gn FOREIGN PATENTS 1 1,084,684 7 1954 France 239 419.3 1 Assign" Badman lllsmlmnsilnc- 802,831 10/1958 Great Britain 23 9/431 a corporation of California Primary Examiner- Robert G. Nilson Attorneys- Richard M. Jennings, A. M. Fernandez and Robert j 541 un!) MIXER Steinmeyer v 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] [1.8. CI. 137/559, RACT; A i r of the type comprising two sets of jets 137/604, 259/4 discharging into a small mixing chamber, one set being [51] Int-Cl. B0lf5/18 disposed to discharge at points adjacent discharge points of I Search the other set the one et being formed radial grooves on 2 419332451426, 430, 259/4 the end of a cylindrical body placed inside a smooth counter- References Cited bore in a main body concentric with a bore which leads to a cuvette formed as an integral part thereof. The second set is r UNITED STATES PATENTS formed by grooves on a frustum of a cone inserted into a 1,462,395 7/ 1923 Thompson.. 239/430X smooth conical counterbore in the cylindrical body concentric 1,785,803 12/1930 Adams 239/430 with a bore therein which forms the mixing chamber.

42 n m {43 4| {4o 35 44 34 Q x L l zl 526 E as v21 r15 1/ /46 14 is l ill e New il W Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet ,Z; of 2 FIG I I INVENTOR.

THOMAS 0. SHARPLES BY ATTORNEY v RAPID MIXER BACKGROUND or THEINVENTION l. Field of the Invention- The present invention relates toa rapid mixer for a stop I flow reactionlkin'etic system of theptype disclosed in US. ap-

mixed-and the reproducibility of the system as a whole, includ- I ing the mixing of the reactants; In the past, mixers of many types have been employed, the most simple of which consists of a T connection into which the reactants are driven at high velocity. A more complex type includes means for developing. turbulence downstream from a T connection. Even more complex-mixers have employed Ts with multiple jctsand Ts providcd with offset nozzlespOthcr mixers have been made with concentric'annular nozzles. and more recently with a bundle of plastic tubesthrough which one liquid is passed while the second solution is introduced through the interstices of the tubes in the bundle. almost perfect'mixing taking place at the immediate outlet of the tubes. A mixer of that more recent type-is most difficult to fabricate from plastic such as KeI-F because it is most difficult to draw such-tubes into a bundle of closely spaced smallorifices. Fabricating one with glass tubes is more-practicable but systems for mounting and connecting 1 to -it-would' be complex and expensive to manufacture.

Moreover, sometimes it would be desirable to fabricate the mixer with metal tubes because of the nature of the reactants to be used. and such metal tubes would be as impracticable as tubes made from plastic, such as KeI-F.

SUMMARY The subject ofthe present invention is a mixer of the type in which two sets .of jets for two reactants to be mixed are brought into "a small mixing chamber at high velocity. One set ofjets is formed by radial grooves in a first body placed against -a smooth mating surface of a second or main body (or vice versa) such that a first fluid is discharged into a bore through the center of the first body. That bore forms the mixing ch'amberQThe other set ofjets is formed by radial grooves in a third body so placed against a smooth mating surface of a counterbore in the first body (or vice versa) that a second reactant is discharged through the second set of grooves "directly into the bore or mixing chamber. In a preferred em- 'bodin ent, the-first body consists of a cylinder with the first set of radial grooves at one end thereof and the second or main body consists of'a block with a bore leading away from the mixing chamber and a concentric smooth counterbore into which the first body is inserted. The firstbody is provided with a diameter just under thediameter of the counterbore in the main body and with an O-ring in an annular groove for sealing I the first body in the counterbore. An annular space is provided between the sealed end of the first body and the coun- -terhorc' ofthe main body by a portion of the first body (at the end with the radial grooves which is first inserted into the thecounterborc of the main body with its conical end in the counterbore of the first body, jets are formed by the grooves ofthe third body against the mating smooth surface of the first "body which discharge directly into the mixing chamber at an angle with-the-first set ofjets which are formed by grooves on 'a-flat surface on the end ofthe first cylindrical body. The third body is further provided with a tip in the form ofa frustum ofa cone having a base with a radius equal to the radius at the end of the third body to which it is attached. That tip'protrudes .into the mixing chamber in order to reduce the volume thereof. The bore in the'main body leading away from th e mixing chamber connects directly with a cuvette formed'as un'in;

tegral part of the main body in order to reduce to a minimum the distance (time) the mixed reactants musttravel before their reaction can be observed. Thesecond reactant is introduced into an annular space'betw'een a re'duced diameter portion of thethird body and the wall of thecou'nterbore in BRIEF DESCRIPTION os'rns DRAWINGS 7 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled component parts ofthe'preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a first principal part of the assembly shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a second principal part ofthe v 4 assembly disclosed in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG; 1 discloses in a sectional view ah assembled mixer and cuvette assembly comprising a main body 10 having an exit bore 11 anda cross-drilled bore I2 the cnds of which are I sealed by quartz windows 13 and I4 secured in place by hollow nuts I5 and I6 threaded into counterbores'l'7 and 18. Mixed reactants enter the lateral cuvette bore from a mixing chamber above and flow around a baffle' 20 placed inthe lateral cuvette bore in order that the mixed reactants will more readily fill the lateral bore 12 for observation, although it should be understood thatthe mixer and cuvette assembly is intended for use in a stopped flow reaction kinetic system so that once reactants of sufficient volume to fill the c uvette, have been introduced into the mixer, flow through the borell is stopped by means (not shown) connected thereto. Following tion of the cylindrical body 21 is'provided with an annular groove 24 (FIG; 2) for an O-ring 25 (FIG. I) to seal a space 26 between the cylindrical body 21 and-the bottom of the counterbore in the body 10. That space is provided by reducing the diameter of the cylindrical body 21 at the end thereof which mates with a smooth surface at the bottom of the counterbore as shown in FIGJI.

The cylindrical body 21 is provided with a plurality of radial v grooves 27 only a few of which have been'shown in FIG. 2 for clarity. When cylindrical body 21 is inserted into the counterbore of the body 10 as shown in FIG. l,'the radial grooves 27 form a set ofjets through which a reactant is introduced into the mixing chamber comprising a bore 28 in the body 21 connected to the bore 11 by a conical-shaped counterbore 29 in the body 10. The annular space 26 between'the conical body 21 and the main body 10 serves as a manifold for supplying a reactant to the radial jets formed by the grooves 27 against the smooth mating surface of the counterbore in the main body 10. The reactant .is introduced into that space" 26 under high pressure through a bore 30 in the main body 10. I

The cylindrical body 21 is provided witha conical counterbore concentric with the bore 28 (mixing'chamber), and thc cylindrical body 22 is formed at the lower end thereof in the shape of a frustuni of a cone which exactlymates with the conical counterbore in the cylindrical body 21'. Grooves 31 I under high pressure through a bore 35 and a lateral bore 36 in the body 22. Another portion 37 of reduced diameter is provided on the cylindrical body 22 above the portion 32 in order to provide an O-ring 38 as shown in FIG. 1 to seal the space 34 'in the counterbore of the main body 10.

A retaining block 40 is fastened to the main body 10 as by screws 41 to so apply sufficient pressure on the cylindrical bodies 21 and 22 that their respective grooved surfaces will seat tightly against the mating smooth surfaces of the main body 10 and the cylindrical body 21, respectively. The retaining block 40 is provided with bores 42 and 43 communicating with respective bores 30 and 35. Each of the bores 42 and 43 are threaded to receive high pressure fittings for tubes conveying reactants thereto. A counterbore is provided for thc'bore 30 to receivejan O-ring 44. A corresponding counterbore and O-ring is not necessary for the bore 35 since the O-ring 38 will provide an adequate seal not only for the space 34 but also for the bore 43.

It should be noted that although particular geometry has been illustrated for the surfaces on which radial jet forming grooves are provided, other geometries may be selected for one or both surfaces such as spheres, parabaloids, and the like. The geometry forthe grooves themselves is also selectable over a wide range such as straight and radial as illustrated, straightand tangential. or curved. The grooves may also be of various length rather than of uniform lengths as illustrated; and of nonuniform cross sections rather than of uniform cross sections as illustrated. in addition, it should be appreciated that the mixer for more than two reactants may be provided in v accordance with the teachings ofthc present invention such as by providing additional concentric bodies. For instance, instead of introducing the reactant into space 34 through the center of the cylindrical body 22, a second bore through'the main bodyl1) may be provided to that space, leaving the center'ofthe cylindrical body 22 available for providing a 4 cylindrical bore.therethrough with a cylindrical body having axial grooves to provide a third set ofjets discharging directly into the mixing chamber 28. 7

Although mixing takes place primarily in the bore 28 of the cylindrical member 21, it should be noted that mixing may not be completed immediately even though mixing is more instantaneous than in some of the prior art designs employing T junctions or tangential jets into a round chamber. Accordingly,.some delay is purposely introduced for the delivery ofthe mix'ed reactant into the cuvette bore 12 by the conical counterbore 29 leading into the bore 11. A tip section 46 in the shape ofa' frustum of a cone is provided on the cylindrical body 22 to extend through the mixing chamber 28 in order to not only reduce the volume of the mixing chamber butalso direct themixed reactants through the conical counterbore in the body 10 and the bore 11 through which the mixture is introduced into the cuvette bore 12. However, it should be recognized that such a tip section is not essential to" the present invention in its broadest aspects and that the conical counterbore 29 is also not essential. Instead, the bore 11 extendingthrough the cuvette bore 12 in the body 10 may be further extended with a uniform diameter to the counterbore in-the body 10 holding the cylindrical bodies 21 arid 22, in which case the mixed reactants will be confined to the mixing chamber 28 for a longer period of time before entering the bore 11 leading into thecuvette bore 12. The delay in introducing the reactants into the cuvette bore 12 by confining the mixed reactants to the mixing chamber 28for a slightly greater period will allow placing the cuvette bore '12 slightly closer to the mixing chamber 28. I

Although the principles of the invention have been disclosed with reference to a preferred embodiment in which the smooth mating surfaces areon the body containing a counterbore, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the grooves may be provided on the opposing body insteadfor that some grooves may be provided on one body and other grooves, such as alternate ones, on the other body.

lclaim:

1. A mixer of the type comprising first and second sets of" jets for two liquids to be mixed discharging into a small mixing chamber defined by a first bore in a generally cylindrical first body, said first set of jets being formed by a first set of radial grooves in said cylindrical first body placed against the smooth i S mating surface of a first counterbor'e' in a second body stich that a first fluid-is discharged at the center thereof through the" first set of grooves into said mixing chamber, the diameter of the first cylindrical body at one end thereof being less than the remainder thereof with the greater diameter being just under the diameter of said first counterbore and the grooves of the first set of jets at the lower diameter end thereof being juxtaposed to the bottom of the first counterbore, a passageway in said second body and communicating with the outside thereof, a first annular space between said counterbore wall and the lesser diameter portion of said first cylindrical body connected to said passageway, said passageway and said annular space forminga conduit through which said first fluid is introduced simultaneously into said first set ofgroovcs, a second set of jets being formed by a second set of radial grooves in a third body placed against a smooth mating surface of said first body, a second annular space between said first and third bodies through which said second fluid is introduced simul taneously into said second set of grooves, and a second bore in said second body concentric with the first bore in said first body forming an exit passageway from said mixing chamber.

2. A mixer as defined in claim 1 wherein there is provided a second counterbore in said first cylindrical body concentric with the bore therein forming said mixing chamber and said smooth mating surface of said third body forming said second set ofjets is formed by one of a pair of opposing surfaces in said second counterbore.

3. A mixer as defined in claim 2 wherein the portion of said first body to form said second set ofjets, the diameter of said third body at the one end thereof being less than the remainder thereof, the greater diameter being just under the diameter of said first counterbore into which said third body is ,inserted, the portion of greater dimension having an annular groove and an O-ring therein to seal a second annular space between the wall of said first counterbore and the portion of :lesser diameter of said third body, and wherein there is pro- ,vided a passage from the outside of said first and third bodies 0 to said second annular space.

grooves in said first body he in aplane normal to said axis of the bore comprising the mixing chamber.

6. A mixer as defined inclaini 5 wherein said second counterbore is in the shape of a frustum ofa cone, and the cnd'of said third cylindrical body inserted therein to form said second set ofjets is also in the shape of a frustumof a cone.

7. A mixer as defined in claim 6 wherein said end of said third body inserted into said second counterbore isprbvidcd with an extension thereof in the shape ofa fru'st'um of a cone protruding into said bore comprising said'mixing chamber whereby thevolume of said mixing chamber is substantially reduced.

8. A mixer as defined in claim 7 wherein said second body 9. A mixer as defined in claim 3 wherein said second body includes a cuvettc in direct communication with said mixing includes a cuvette in direct communication with said mixing chamber through said bore therein concentric with the bore chamber through said bore therein concentric with the bore forming said mixing chamber. forming said mixing chamber. 

